Patent US7043531B1 successfully refreshed from Google Patents.
US7043531B1
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Web-based customer lead generator system with pre-emptive profiling
Assignee: Alto Dynamics LLC
•
Filing: 2001-10-04
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Granted: 2006-05-09
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Expires: 2021-10-04
Abstract
Abstract A web-based customer lead generator system. The system is based on an application service model, with the programming for the system being accessible to users of the system via web browsers and the Internet. The users are typically business enterprises that maintain e-commerce web sites. The pre-emptive profiling process searches the Internet to obtain email addresses of potential web site buyers. It performs a reverse look-up process to obtain demographic data about each potential buyer. This data is used to provide a purchasing profile of the buyer, which is then forwarded to the e-commerce business enterprise.
Inventors
- 👤 John C. Seibel
- 👤 Yu Feng
- 👤 Robert L. Foster
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-10-29 13:51
CPC Classifications
G; G06; G06Q; G06Q30/00; G06Q30/02; G06Q30/0207; G06Q30/0222; G06Q30/0239; G06Q30/0241; Y; Y10; Y10S; Y10S707/00; Y10S707/99931; Y10S707/99933; Y10S707/99936
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 27
Claim 1
Independent Claim
238 words
A computer system for providing, to an e-commerce client, profile information about prospective customers, comprising: a data acquisition process for extracting text documents from unstructured Internet discussion sites selected from the group consisting of: news groups, discussion forums, and mailing lists; wherein the data acquisition process operates by intruding into the Internet discussion site independently of, and without activation by the participants of the discussion site; wherein each discussion site comprises a collection of text documents generated by participants of the discussion site and simultaneously received by multiple participants of the discussion site; an archive database for storing the extracted text documents; a harvester for receiving queries from the e-commerce client, each query representing a request for information about participants who are discussing a specified product or service; wherein the harvester responds to each query by accessing the archive database; wherein the harvester is further operable to provide email addresses of the participants who are discussing the product or service; thereby identifying prospective customers; a customer profiler operable to use the email addresses to perform reverse look-up to obtain profile data about the prospective customers, and to forward the profile data to the e-commerce client; a web server for providing access to the harvester via a web browser and the Internet, such that the e-commerce client interact with the harvester to make the requests on line via the Internet and to receive the outputs generated by the harvester.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
238 words
A computer system for providing, to an e-commerce client, profile information about prospective customers, comprising: a data acquisition process for extracting text documents from unstructured Internet discussion sites selected from the group consisting of: news groups, discussion forums, and mailing lists; wherein the data acquisition process operates by intruding into the Internet discussion site independently of, and without activation by the participants of the discussion site; wherein each discussion site comprises a collection of text documents generated by participants of the discussion site and simultaneously received by multiple participants of the discussion site; an archive database for storing the extracted text documents; a harvester for receiving queries from the e-commerce client, each query representing a request for information about participants who are discussing a specified product or service; wherein the harvester responds to each query by accessing the archive database; wherein the harvester is further operable to provide email addresses of the participants who are discussing the product or service; thereby identifying prospective customers; a customer profiler operable to use the email addresses to perform reverse look-up to obtain profile data about the prospective customers, and to forward the profile data to the e-commerce client; a web server for providing access to the harvester via a web browser and the Internet, such that the e-commerce client interact with the harvester to make the requests on line via the Internet and to receive the outputs generated by the harvester.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
20 words
The system of claim 1 , wherein the data acquisition process uses a keyword search to obtain the email addresses.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
29 words
The system of claim 1 , wherein the profiling system uses a parsing algorithm to separate elements of the email address and relates the parsed elements to contact data.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
17 words
The system of claim 1 , wherein the profiling system pings the email address to determine validity.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
39 words
The system of claim 1 , wherein the profiling system performs a multi-level look-up with a data record for each prospective buyer wherein data fields found at one level of the look-up determine the next level of the look-up.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
13 words
The system of claim 1 , wherein the reverse lookup is performed offline.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
13 words
The system of claim 1 , wherein the reverse lookup is performed online.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
17 words
The system of claim 1 , where the system is further programmed to contact the prospective buyer.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
16 words
The system of claim 8 , wherein the contact is performed by autoscripting an email message.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
27 words
The system of claim 1 , wherein the reverse lookup uses buying interrogatories to determine for whom a purchase is to be made and reasons for buying.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
19 words
The system of claim 1 , wherein the profile data includes at least a mathematical representation of transaction success.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
26 words
The system of claim 1 , wherein the profiling system is further programmed to forward a link to a text document authored by the email addressor.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim
24 words
The system of claim 1 , wherein the profiling system is further programmed to autoscript a direct sales text based on the profile data.
Claim 15
Dependent Claim
192 words
A web-based method for providing, to an e-commerce client, profile information about potential customers, comprising the steps of: extracting text documents from at least one unstructured Internet discussion site selected from the group consisting of: news groups, discussion forums, and mailing lists; wherein the each discussion site comprises a collection of text documents generated by participants of the discussion site and broadcasted among multiple participants of the discussion site; storing the extracted text documents in an archive database; receiving a query from the e-commerce client, via a web browser and a web server, a query representing a request for information about participants of the text sources who are discussing a specified product or service; using a harvester to access the archive database and to respond to the query independently of, and without activation by the participants; using the harvester to provide emails addresses of participants who are discussing the specified product or service, thereby identifying prospective customers of the e-commerce client; and performing a reverse lookup to obtain additional contact data about the person associated with each email address; and forwarding the profile data to the e-commerce client, via a web browser.
Claim 16
Dependent Claim
192 words
A web-based method for providing, to an e-commerce client, profile information about potential customers, comprising the steps of: extracting text documents from at least one unstructured Internet discussion site selected from the group consisting of: news groups, discussion forums, and mailing lists; wherein the each discussion site comprises a collection of text documents generated by participants of the discussion site and broadcasted among multiple participants of the discussion site; storing the extracted text documents in an archive database; receiving a query from the e-commerce client, via a web browser and a web server, a query representing a request for information about participants of the text sources who are discussing a specified product or service; using a harvester to access the archive database and to respond to the query independently of, and without activation by the participants; using the harvester to provide emails addresses of participants who are discussing the specified product or service, thereby identifying prospective customers of the e-commerce client; and performing a reverse lookup to obtain additional contact data about the person associated with each email address; and forwarding the profile data to the e-commerce client, via a web browser.
Claim 17
Dependent Claim
31 words
The method of claim 14 , further comprising the steps of parsing the email addresses to separate elements of the email address and of relating the parsed elements to contact data.
Claim 18
Dependent Claim
18 words
The method of claim 14 , further comprising the step of pinging the email address to determine validity.
Claim 19
Dependent Claim
43 words
The method of claim 14 , wherein the reverse lookup is a multi-level look-up, performed by creating a data record for each prospective buyer and using data fields found at one node of the look-up to determine the next node of the look-up.
Claim 20
Dependent Claim
16 words
The method of claim 14 , wherein the reverse lookup is performed at least partly offline.
Claim 21
Dependent Claim
16 words
The method of claim 14 , wherein the reverse lookup is performed at least partly online.
Claim 22
Dependent Claim
15 words
The method of claim 14 , further comprising the step of contacting the prospective buyer.
Claim 23
Dependent Claim
16 words
The method of claim 20 , wherein the contacting is performed by autoscripting an email message.
Claim 24
Dependent Claim
27 words
The method of claim 14 , wherein the reverse lookup uses buying interrogatories to determine for whom a purchase is to be made and reasons for buying.
Claim 25
Dependent Claim
19 words
The method of claim 14 , wherein the profile data includes at least a mathematical representation of transaction success.
Claim 26
Dependent Claim
23 words
The method of claim 14 , further comprising the step of forwarding a link to a text document authored by the email addressor.
Claim 27
Dependent Claim
21 words
The method of claim 14 , further comprising the step of autoscripting a direct sales text based on the profile data.
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USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows
| Annuity Stage | Window Opens | Payment Deadline | Surcharge Period Until | Estimated Fee | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.5 Years (Year 4) | 2009-05-08 | 2009-11-07 | 2010-05-09 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 2013-05-08 | 2013-11-07 | 2014-05-09 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 2017-05-08 | 2017-11-07 | 2018-05-09 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |